


maybe

by qkdxksthsuseks



Series: sleepy puffs [8]
Category: Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z, Powerpuff Girls, Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi (Webcomic)
Genre: Happy Ending, Love, Love Confessions, Made For Each Other, Mild Language, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-10-26 03:53:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20735798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qkdxksthsuseks/pseuds/qkdxksthsuseks
Summary: 'are you free this friday?'she made the first move.





	maybe

Blossom was sitting in the chair, her eyes staring at her phone. She was waiting for a message, a phone call. She had asked a question and she wanted it answered. Blossom then put down the book she was reading and drummed her fingers on the table. It wasn't a hard question, was it? He couldn't be purposely avoiding her text, right? She bit her lower lip, her eyes narrowing down on the screen. 

_\- are you free this friday? _

It was such a straightforward text. And she thought she had gotten all the right signals from him. He smirked when she said something and laughed when she tripped - and then helped her get up two seconds later. He seemed... _open _to her, he would talk about all the little things that happened to his life, just everything. She thought there was this _connection _between them. And she waited enough, if he wasn't going to make a move, she was.

He always replied to her text very fast and the idea of him avoiding her terrified her. But somehow, in the deepest floor of her heart, she knew he would never avoid. She knew he could never avoid her. So no matter what it might look like, she kind of believed that he was not ignoring her. He was probably caught up in something, something he didn't want to. When she came to that conclusion, she was suddenly scared. 

"Boomer, is Brick with you?" she desperately asked into her phone, biting her lower lip. "He isn't answering my texts and so I was wondering - " 

There was a short sigh. It wasn't the exasperated kind, it was one that came out from someone was distressed, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Blossom paused, wondering what he could possibly tell her about Brick that would make him - Boomer, the nice one - so... so _sad _and yet annoyed at the same time. "Boomer?" she said. 

"Blossom! Blossom!" 

There was a distant voice rapidly nearing her. Blossom lifted her head and looked at the entrance, where Buttercup was panting furiously, gas steaming off her skin, her eye colors receding back into their normal emerald green from neon green. She fumed a little smoke and stopped. Blossom felt a rush of fear and adrenaline pulsing into her veins as she looked at her sister, her phone still pressed on her ears. She strained. 

"Did you hear?" Buttercup asked. 

And at the same time, Boomer started talking in his low, pitiful voice. "I'm sorry I had to keep it a secret from you, Blossom," he started and her heart started racing. "But Brick told both me and Butch to keep quiet. And, and I figured he would've told you by now." There was pause. Blossom took in the look of Buttercup's face, the look that said she was sorry. No, it wasn't quite that. She couldn't completely perceive what was happening. Buttercup just stood there, a little bitter. 

"He left, Blossom." 

She wondered if it was Buttercup that said it or Boomer. But she realized it was both of them at the same time. And she just placed her phone on the counter. She didn't understand what was happening. But the way Boomer's voice was filled with apology, and the way Buttercup looked so rushed and mad told her it was pretty serious. "Brick left?" she breathed. "Left where? To where?" 

_He was planning on leaving for a long time. He hid it for a long time too. He said... I don't remember what he said. I just knew he was stupid. He's leaving today, no he probably already left. He's going... to another country. He said he's going to try to make his powers more useful. He said he wanted it to be done. He said he wanted him to do it. _Blossom took a deep breath. _Maybe he was going to come back, maybe he wasn't. _She thought they were friends. Yes, maybe they sort of - lowkey highkey - sent signs that they were attracted to each other but she thought they were the least _friends. _Maybe even _best__friends_. 

"Damn it," Blossom fumed. She called Brick for the eightieth time, wondering if he was even in the same dimension as her right now. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, her hands fidgeting a little. Her whole body was telling her that she was unstable and that she was still processing the information. She breathed and breathed and her first thought was going to see him. She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her temples. And then she looked at Buttercup. "Where is he?" 

"He probably already left," Buttercup said, strained. "Blossom, it's just - Blossom? _Blossom!" _

Blossom shot into the air, a jet of pink air trailing behind her. She knew it was a stretch, being a superhero didn't mean being invincible. Being able to fly didn't mean she could fly forever - especially at this speed. She might have to stop in the middle and get a taxi instead, but it didn't matter. She would eventually get there. And hopefully it wasn't too late. She still didn't understand what was happening. 

_\- i love you_

_\- ...what? _

_\- oh damn, did you think i was serious? _

_\- god you scared me. _

If he had been planning on leaving, what was he thinking every time he talked to her? Was he aware of the fact that he was literally lying to her like it was breathing? She didn't want to think. She just remembered the wind slapping her face and tried to not think. When she was there, when she saw him, then she'll decide what to do. Then she'll think about what she should do. Until then she was done. 

She didn't last long. 

She was forced to stop because she was out of breath. She hadn't been careful with the way she used her strength and stamina, she was already out of breath and she had only just went past two cities - she was so close now. She slowly landed on the ground, vomiting rushed breaths and crumbling on the ground. Her whole body trembled a little, turning red, and turning hot. She seethed, gritting her teeth. 

There was the noise of car skidding. Blossom turned her neck a little. 

"Hi, Blossom," Butch called, a small smirk on his face. "Are you heading to the air port because you've just heard that Brick is leaving?" He waved vaguely to the empty seat in his jeep with a sigh. "Buttercup called, get in, I'll drive you there." 

She didn't hesitate in getting in and Butch didn't hesitate driving off. He also didn't hesitate opening his mouth first. Blossom almost forgot to pay attention at first. "Please don't hate him too much," was the first thing Butch said as he pressed on the accelerator. Blossom didn't say anything. She grabbed her hand to prevent them from trembling. "He first told me of his plans a month ago. He said he'd been actually _thinking _about it for a long time. He only started researching properly a year ago. He wanted to go to the Haikerlands - you know that place overseas. He said there was a city with an institution that didn't have any superheroes protecting their city despite frequent appearance of monsters. He wanted to know how they killed them, killed the bad guys." Then he paused and immediately added, "He isn't trying to kill himself, Blossom, he's just - "

"Trying to kill the bad guy inside him," Blossom finished his sentence. She bit her lower lip. "Brick told me he always had this evil darkness inside him. More than you or Boomer did. He called his - " 

"Evil instinct," Butch sighed. "Yes, he wanted to kill that. He was usually in charge. But sometimes, when he was very very sleepy or very very tired, it got the best of him." He seethed, grimacing. "His instinct to say bad things, his instinct to kill people, his instinct to hurt others, they became priority. When we were young, it was a nightmare. In the past few years, he has been alright because - " He glanced at Blossom. " - he met you." 

"He's so stupid," Blossom muttered. "I think he's so stupid." 

"He _is _stupid," Butch agreed, smiling a little. "And what I want you to do is... tell him to stay. He never listened to me and Boomer, but you, he will listen. Tell him to stay. Please." His voice cracked a little and Blossom was reminded once again how fast everything was happening and how genuine everything was. 

"Alright," she answered as the jeep jerked into a stop in front of the airport. She yanked opened the door and jumped out. 

"Tell him how you feel," Butch added. 

Blossom didn't look back as she ran straight into the air port. She didn't have time to look back. She barely had enough time to look for him. 

Brick stood by the glass automatic doors, staring at the sky. He didn't carry anything, he didn't need to. He just wondered if there was something he should be doing besides this, there was nothing. Except, maybe a small regret. He turned on his phone, scared of what he might find. There were numerous missed calls. Majority of them were from Blossom. He pursed his lips, knowing she must've found out. He tried to imagine her reaction, but he couldn't. She was probably... stressed, yes. And maybe even sad. Definitely mad at him. 

_'are you free this friday?'_

God, he wished he was. No, maybe it was good thing he was leaving before this message was sent last week. Before... anything developed between him and Blossom. Before something happened. His phone vibrated in his hand. The name Blossom glowed on the screen. He hesitated for a long time and he just watched the screen stay like that. His hand trembled a little. 

"Why are you not answering?" 

The voice came behind him. Brick turned around and looked back. Blossom was standing there, gasping for air. Wisps of smoke was peeling off her skin. Her skin was slightly burned, probably from the intense speed she was flying. Brick dropped his phone but he still didn't move. Blossom took a sharp inhale of air and she gripped her hand on her phone. "Why are you not answering?" she seethed, tears brimming in her eyes. 

Brick could feel the people behind in the line brushing past him. Blossom walked up to him, fuming. "Say something, Brick," she bristled. "Brick?" 

"...Blossom, what are you doing here?" was what he finally choked out. 

"What are _you _doing here?" Blossom retorted. "Brick, I can't believe you didn't - don't go." Her lips were quivering a little. "Brick, please, don't go." 

"Blossom, I - " 

"I like you," she blurted. 

Brick opened his mouth and closed it. Then he placed his hand on the metal fence cutting between him and Blossom. She watched him tentatively. His lips curved into a smile, the kind that wasn't filled with genuine happiness. He released a short laugh, the kind of forced types. Then he ran his hand through his hair. "Thanks, Blossom," he finally said, after a very long time. "Thank you for liking me, I really appreciate it." He knew he sounded stupid. "But I have to go." 

He had been thinking for a long time. And he knew the end could be something so terrible or something not so terrible. Either way, it had to be done. It had to be done or else he might end up hurting people - _he might end up hurting her. _So he wanted to keep things inbetween all the time. So he could never settle for anything, so he could never do anything. Or he could do everything. 

"Brick - " 

"I like you too," Brick smiled. He was saying something that should make her happy but his words only dragged her deeper into her sadness. "But... I don't think I can, Blossom. I need to go. _This _is how I should do things. _This _is the end of anti-hero, Brick the Rowdyruff." He leaned in a little, his eyes filled with anguish. 

"I'll go with you," Blossom offered. "Brick, please, I'll go - " 

"No you can't," Brick shook his head. "Blossom, you have a duty to do. If you leave this city, it would probably be extinguished within a week. I mean, no offense to Bubbles or Buttercup - they're still great guardians of this city. These people need you. I don't need you. You have to stay. And you already know that in your heart." 

"I need you," tears trickled down her cheeks. 

Brick raised his hand brushed his fingers past her cheeks, shedding her tears. "No, you don't," he whispered. "You're a wonderful woman, Blossom. You don't need someone like me." He pressed his lips on her forehead for a moment before lowering his eyes to match hers. "I bet one day, you'll think about me and won't even feel sad at all." He knew that was a lie. He knew it. But he couldn't bring himself to say it. 

Blossom knew he should go. She couldn't make him stay beside her and let him eat himself in the inside. "Promise me, you'll come back," she said, determined. "Promise me, you'll try everything you can in order to come back... to me." 

"I will," Brick nodded. "I promise." 

And so she let him go. 

_Dear Brick, how are you? I received your letter. I hope the experiment goes well. I hope everything goes well for you. _Blossom stopped, wondering what else to write. It had been three months. And in those three months, Brick had been faithful to his promise - he did come back. Even if that meant he was in the form of ink and paper. He was short and rushed each time, but she didn't mind. And he started sending letters a little later and later... but she didn't mind. 

He always talked of this experiment, this experiment that was suppose to "cure" him. 

"Don't you ever get sick of it?" Bubbles asked, tilting her head. "Boomer told me Brick hardly even contact his brothers anymore." She smiled. "He must be putting the extra effort into you, I guess." Blossom knew that. And she greatly appreciated it. Even if there was still a little fear that he may be considering her as a nuisance and wanted to get rid of her, she was alright. 

"What is this experiment?" Bubbles asked as she picked up the letter he sent. "And why is this so short? Is it supposed to be coded?" 

"No," Blossom shook her head, laughing a little. She shrugged. "I don't know what the experiment is about. I did ask, but he didn't say." 

"The experiment is going to kill him," Boomer mumbled as he read over the letter. He looked at Blossom and for a moment she thought he was blaming her for something. He looked like he was agonized, disturbed, discomforted. No, that wasn't it. He seemed more scared than ever. He just didn't show it. "I'm afraid he won't make it." He must've been thinking and thinking, calculating and calculating again and again. 

"No, Boomer, he'll make it," Bubbles laughed. She sat beside him and leaned her head on his shoulders. His face softened but his fear were still there. He nearly believed it. Blossom understood, she believed that she understood. But she also believed he would come back. 

Maybe it was the way he had looked at her, the small receding smile, the look of relief on his face. She believed him, he was going to survive. Boomer was saying those things because he hadn't been there when Brick left, he hadn't seen the satisfied, triumphant smirk on Brick's face as the doors closed behind him. He didn't see how Brick walked on and walk, disappearing from her sight, without ever looking back. 

Without ever looking back. Blossom thought about that statement again. It didn't seem very right anymore - 

"Hello, Blossom," Butch said as he strolled into the living room. Blossom gave a smile and turned to him, her eyes glittering a little. Butch was the one always picking up the letters on his way home and every single day, Brick had written her a letter. He said it arrived a day late but it didn't matter. They still communicated. Butch stared at her, an eye brow raised, confused for a second. Then he laughed a little awkwardly. "There wasn't a letter today." 

Blossom knitted her eye brows, frowning. "What? Are you sure?" 

"Yes," Butch nodded. "Don't worry, he probably forgot. Maybe he overslept." 

"Oh, right," Blossom mumbled. "Probably." She finished writing her letter, adding a little news on what was happening - which wasn't particularly different from what she wrote yesterday - and then she slipped it into the envelope before anyone else can read it and handed it to Butch, who mumbled something along the lines of posting it the next morning - just like he always did. 

He would probably send the letter tomorrow, she believed. 

He didn't. 

"It's like... he disappeared," Blossom fumed, biting her lips. Buttercup glanced at her, a little concerned. Bubbles piped in, "Well, he's not actually _disappeared_, because he still in the institution and we clearly know that because..." Blossom sent her a steely look as she interrupted, "Because I literally telegram them every single day to make sure he's still there and alive. You ever think about the time and effort I put into this guy?" 

"Yes, _we all noticed,_" Buttercup snickered. "It's kind of obvious." She shrugged. "But honestly Brick's probably completely fine." 

"I know he is," Blossom sighed, resting her head on the table. "But what I don't understand is why isn't he answering me? Is he sick? Is he about to die? Well it doesn't matter, right, he could at least tell me he is sick or that he's dying." Her tone turned a little sad and calm. "I don't understand, he's doing it on purpose because come on... what are the chances that he didn't get any of my letters in the past _six months_?" 

Six months. Yes, it was a long time. Blossom thought maybe she should try stopping. But she didn't really feel like he left her behind, she didn't feel empty when he stopped sending her letters. Because, maybe, maybe he was reading hers. That single thought alone motivated her to do things. But she started to rethink everything she had done. Had Brick ever done anything for her? Wasn't this a one-way relationship? 

He said he like her, right? And he kissed her forehead? It couldn't be that that was all some sort of figment right? Or that he could possibly be lying to her about it? 

She couldn't have misinterpreted things, right? 

Blossom sat there for what felt like forever, her eyes stealing a glimpse of the letter she was writing. It was almost identical to the one she wrote yesterday in what it was telling. She felt so stupid all of a sudden. Brick had _left _her. He had promised to return, yes, but she didn't know when that was going to be. Yes, he was trying to do something good, but didn't it really have to so far away? Did he really have to be so against her coming with her? A weird sense of betrayal and selfishness started washing over her. She had enough, right? She couldn't keep up with... whatever this relationship was. He was constantly just leaving her hanging and she... didn't have time. Blossom took a sip of her coffee and picked up her letter, letting it fall straight into the trash can. 

Bubbles gawked at her. "Blossom, did you - " 

"I don't care anymore," Blossom shrugged. "Until Brick shows up in front of me with a good enough explanation as to why he hadn't responded to my sixty letters, I'm not thinking about him." Buttercup gave her a look of awe. Bubbles looked surprised but please. Blossom gave a small sigh of content as she glanced at the trash can one last time, before looking away. She probably needed to text Butch that there was no need for him to drop by in the morning to pick up her letters. 

"Are you going to keep telegraphing the institution though?" Bubbles asked. 

Blossom hesitated, wondering she should. Did she want to know if Brick was alive? Yes. A part of her still wanted to make sure every morning and the other part of reassured her that Brick wouldn't die so easily. And there was the other part that didn't care at all and didn't want to care. She shrugged and nodded, "If something happens, Boomer will be the first to let me know." 

Bubbles nodded, agreeing. 

"Mr. Jojo, how are you feeling?" 

The voice echoed in his head. Brick wretched to the side, clutching his nonexistent wounds. After furiously blinking, he finally started breathing again. He slumped beside the wall, a small faint smile surfacing on his face. He nodded and a group of people in white lab coats started jotting things down. Brick looked around his surroundings, checking the familiar ground. A white room, two large glass panes. Yes, he was alright. 

"Alright, we're going to try it at a higher voltage and that's it for today." 

Brick closed his eyes. And then he lost track of time as a rhythmic wave of pain started hitting. At first, he would feel his skin become tingly and then his blood start boiling. But now, he was past all of that. So he would just lie down there and wait, really wait. When it was over, he opened his eyes and felt the exhaustion dragging down his body, clinging into his blood, his every cell. He pushed the door open and walked out. 

"You did great," Doctor Watson smiled. "A lot less blood less than last time. Try something." 

Brick raised his hand, used to this routine, and watched as it took three seconds to summon fire dancing on the tip of his finger. The doctor nodded, his eyes widened with awe. Brick added, "It gets harder every time. Maybe one day I'll lose my powers." There was a small hopeful hint to his voice. 

"That's impossible," Doctor Watson laughed. Brick shrugged, he didn't really mean it - he already said this numerous times before and was met with the same response. "Our next experiment will be... next week, if that's alright?" Brick looked up, confused. 

"Next week? That's a long time," he blinked. 

The doctor looked at Brick for a long time, his eyes unwavering. "You were in that room for twenty hours," he stated. Brick shrugged. He lost track of time, it didn't seem that long. "We always cut it before it becomes fatal to your organs but everything you do here is very life-threatening to you, Mr. Jojo. If you don't start taking care of your body soon, it will stop regenerating and... I only hope God gives you grace." Brick didn't say anything. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" 

"No, of course not," Brick shook his head. "I'm doing this so I can live." 

"And yet you seem to be trying everything to possibly kill yourself," the doctor laughed dryly. "I know this is all risky and life-threatening and I would always be happy if you wanted to back out on the experiment. There's a very slim chance of the experiment suceeding and even slimmer for you to survive." Brick knew what the words meant to him, he completely understood it. And that was all the gave his life more meaning. 

"...See you later," was what Brick said as he walked away. 

He could probably fall asleep right there and not wake up for at least a week. But he wouldn't, he wouldn't. When he went into his room and found a stack of new letters on his desk, he picked the oldest one up and started reading it, and then the next one, and then the next one. It was just... incredibly heart-warming. And when he got to the last one, he realized it was dated a week ago. He rubbed his temples. 

She finally gave up on him. He was relieved. This was how it should be anyways. If he made it out alive, he would apologize to her first thing because she deserved it. If he didn't... she was always better off without him anyways. Maybe he would feel a little bad for his brothers, but they would cope, they always did, and he knew it. 

Blossom Utonium. 

She was the reason he was trying to kill himself. So he could live with her. 

Blossom glanced at the calendar, realizing what day it _really _was as she writing down the dates on her accounting book. She took out her phone and checked the dates written there to let it really sink into her head. She stared at the numbers on the screen for a long time, before putting down the phone. It almost didn't mean anything to her anymore. The first year, she had scowled and bit her lower lips in anger without thinking. Now, she was very _neutral _about it. It didn't matter to her anymore, did it? 

She walked in broad day light, some kind of change for her. She strolled into her usual cafe and ordered espresso and waited for her order. She could hear the door open vaguely behind her, the coffee pouring into the cup, someone standing behind her, the barista opening a drawer, all of the things sunk into her. Hypersenses, she knew. But something felt oddly different, something felt as though... _out of place. _And before Blossom knew what she was doing, she turned around - she didn't know why, she felt like she should. 

Her breath got shorter. Whatever she had been subconsciously expecting, it wasn't this. 

It wasn't _him. _

"Your espresso is ready." Blossom felt her eyes becoming glassy, her throat becoming dry. Her fingers trembled a little. The air started to become sharper and sharper, it seemed to be prickling her. She suddenly became aware of a lot of things at the same time, her phone was vibrating in her bag. And then all of a sudden, everything became muted as her eyes focused on the figure before her. She didn't know what expression she was making, she couldn't take in what expression _he _was making.

"...Brick." 

He made a slow, lazy smile. "Blossom," he breathed. He looked the same, the _exact _same as she remembered, except the minor changes like his slightly shorter hair or his slightly tanner skin. But it wasn't his appearance that seemed to make the drastic change, it was clear he went through a lot of things. His eyes were not quite so full of life and passion anymore, it was only _filled _with life and _drowned _in passion. 

"H-How long have you been here?" Blossom said, her voice cracking a little. 

Brick opened his mouth, tilting his head to the side.

"One year." 

Something moved inside Blossom when she heard that. It was hot and fiery. She thought about the things she had gone through for the past year and wondered what the hell _he _had been doing the whole time when... when she - when she _needed _him. Was he even nearby? Did he even think about her? The shock faded away and morphed into anger. It was _rude. _The least he could've done was at least, well, _let her know. _...didn't he owe that much to her? Wasn't their relationship anything like - 

Didn't he _care _about her? 

The anger grew into sorrow. 

But she didn't have time to be sad. She didn't even think about anything as she blurted, "Are you alright?" Her hand moved a little but she stopped in time. "Is everything alright now? Are you hurt anywhere?" She didn't have time think about her emotions right now, she just needed to know if he was alright. She needed to know. 

"I'm fine," Brick nodded slowly. "It doesn't hurt anywhere anymore." 

"That's... great," Blossom said slowly as tears started welling up in her eyes. It wasn't tears of happiness or anything like that. Or maybe it was, but only a minuscule proportion to the mass amount of anguish she was recognizing. After years of apathy from him, the first thought that had popped into her head upon seeing him was if he was alright. She felt like the stupidest person on earth. She stared at the ground, attempting to secretly shed her tears. She bit her lower lip and muttered, "It was nice seeing you." 

She brushed past him, not letting her have the chance to see his face. 

Brick chased her with his eyes until she was out of sight. He had a long way to go. 

"He is a fuckboy!" Buttercup shrieked as she raised her glass of beer. "There we go; Brick is a fuckboy." 

Blossom didn't say anything. She instead continued to pour herself a glass of wine again and again, drinking it more and more. In the corner of her eyes, she could see Bubbles's concerned look, but she ignored it. She kept thinking and thinking. And she remembered. He said he liked her and he kissed her forehead - _three years ago. _She still remembered the way his voice trembled a little, the way his lips were pressed tight. It was obvious he cared a lot about her then, he was delicate. 

But she wasn't so sure anymore. They had shared like, what, thirty seconds of their lives together yesterday. She didn't detect anything in his voice. He wasn't overly sad, he wasn't overly happy in seeing her, he was just... _neutral. _

Neutral. She had thought she was neutral, but she wasn't. 

"You know what?" Buttercup said, her lips curving into a devious smirk. Her face was a little red. "Butch is stupid too. What the hell, he's the stupidest out of all of them." Blossom realized this was no longer about Brick and his one year of silence. Buttercup and Butch always had some weird kind of argument between them, it didn't matter who started it - it was always therre, just constantly there. Buttercup always had some new thing to complain about him. 

"Thanks a lot, Butterbitch." 

Butch stood behind Buttercup, his hand on her head. Buttercup grabbed a fork and attempted to stab his hand with not much success. Blossom realized they were all there, all of them - including _him. _Her eyes wavered across his for a second before she casually looked away. He looked like he had always been here, his arm slung around Boomer's shoulders, smirk on his face. 

It almost like he never left but nothing about their relationship was anything like what it was before. Blossom took a sip of her wine, her eyes turning to Butch and Boomer, away from him. She raised an eye brow questioningly and turned to Bubbles. "Did you invite them?" 

"No, I did," Buttercup seethed. "I invited them." 

"You're drunk," Butch commented. Love-hate relationship, Blossom realized. That was what Buttercup had with Butch. She affirmed this in her heart as she watched Butch take a seat beside Buttercup and take the cup of beer off her hand. Blossom poured more wine into her glass. She glanced at Brick who wasn't even looking at her. 

"Take a seat," she said half-halfheartedly and softly. 

"There is so much traffic outside, it's crazy," Boomer remarked. 

The conversation continued on and the only thing Blossom really did was make polite comments and nod along as she poured herself more wine. They were all immersed with themselves, they probably didn't even notice her. And the only person that perhaps noticed didn't really seem to care anymore. It was when she realized her vision was getting blurry and her head becoming dizzy she decided it was time to leave. 

"I'm going home," Blossom announced, picking up her jacket and clutching her head. "See you tomorrow." 

"Blossom, can you go on your own?" Buttercup asked, worried. She already seemed like she was going to stand up and walk her home. 

"Yes," Blossom spat. "I'm fine." And before anyone could say anything, she walked out of the restaurant. She thought she had seen Brick's face expression change a little and that he stood up a little and that his mouth was a little open like he wanted to tell her something. 

The more she walked, the more she realized someone was following her. When she turned around, she crossed her arms before saying, "Why are you following me, Brick?" 

He gave a small smile, like a small laugh. Brick looked at the ground and then looked back up. "You're wearing my coat." 

Blossom blinked. And then she looked down. No wonder it felt a little too big for her. She had assumed that was because she was a little drunk. She thought her face would be red now, if it wasn't already red from the alcohol. She tried to remember if she had brought her coat - she didn't. Blossom then awkwardly wiggled her arms, almost like she was trying to take the coat off without using her fingers. 

Brick laughed. She frowned. "You can keep it," he finally said. "Give it back to me later." 

Later. She would have to see him some time later. The thought brought mixed emotions. She was happy she got to see him again, but at the same time she hated to see his face. "No," she mumbled. "I'll give it to you now." And then she attempted to take it off but Brick's hands landed on either side of her shoulders and she was forced to look up at his face. 

"Then you can keep it forever," he said. "I don't need it." 

Blossom looked at his face, taking it in. "What _do _you need, then?" 

Brick instantly realized this was no longer about the coat. It was an overdue conversation. It was the conversation he should've had a long time ago. "I need _you_," he said. He was prepared. "I have been gone too long, I know. And I'm sorry." He gave a small smile. "Did you miss me?" 

"Nope," Blossom lied, scowling. 

"You're drunk," Brick noticed. Then he smiled. "I missed you a lot more than you ever could. I know you're gonna hate this answer but I am happy I made that choice." He noticed how she looked like she was going to fall asleep. But he continued, "Because if I didn't, I would be scared to be by your side the rest of my life. But now, all I gotta do is go up." 

Blossom knew the words were supposed to make her happy - and she was, a little bit. But she was supposed to mad at him, he was shit. So she frowned with her arms crossed, hoping she would look angry. 

Brick looked at her with some kind of _fond _look. He reached his hand out and touched the top of her head, ruffling up her hair a little. "I hope you will, one day," he whispered. "I really hope you will." 

"...you left me." 

"...I wish I didn't have to," Brick answered softly. He lowered his posture, meeting her eyes. It was glassy and her cheeks were pink. "I'm sorry." 

"Son of a bitch." 

Brick blinked and then burst out laughing. "Did you just say that?" he smiled. 

"Stop smiling, it's disgusting," Blossom crossed her arms. "And I deserve a proper explanation, right? _Right?__" _

"Yes," Brick nodded. "And I'll give you one when you're sober, come on, let's go home." His fingers curled around her arms and although Blossom wanted to move away, she realized she didn't have the energy to do anything like that. So she just mindlessly let him walk her down the familiar streets and to her apartment - only half-surprised that he remembered it. At the door, they both stopped and it didn't occur to Blossom to take out her keys and open the front door. 

His hand was still around her wrists. "Hey," Brick said. "Will you give me a second chance?" 

Blossom knew she was drunk, but she could still think. She was fully aware of what he was saying. She pursed her lips and then softly asked, "Brick, do you remember what _we _used to be like before... before you left?" she tilted her head a little. "Do you remember?" She thought she almost forgot it, that she _must've _forgotten it. But if she tried, if she put in 1% of effort, everything came back like it happened an hour ago. And it didn't help that he was pretty much the same. 

"Yes," he nodded. "I remember." 

It was all fun. They enjoyed each other's company. "Do you remember what I told you at the airport?" Brick didn't say anything. "I told you I like you. I told you to not go. I told you to come back." Her voice trembled a little. "And, and you didn't even - was writing a letter that much work? What the hell where you doing for _a year?"_

He looked down. "I might've died," he murmured softly. "I could've died. I should've died." Brick raised his head. "Putting you through that pain didn't seem worth it. And I am sorry I did that, but I don't regret it. Because what if I died? I can't bear the thought that the last thing I do before I die might be making you cry - Blossom?" His eyes widened. 

Blossom's eyes were welling with tears. She wiped her eyes as tears trickled down. Brick's face hardened. "I know it must've sucked a lot," she mumbled, her voice cracking. "But, like, couldn't you at least tell me? Who cares if you could've died, I would've been more concerned than anyone else and I would've been happier than anyone else that you're... _here_." She carefully placed her hand. Tears streamed down her face. She whined, "I thought you liked me too!!" 

"Please don't cry," Brick pursed his lips. "Blossom, Blossom? I'm sorry I was selfish, I'm sorry. Please don't cry." His hand brushed against her cheeks. He tucked a wisp of her hair behind her ears. "Yes I'm so stupid, _so very stupid. _But, but I couldn't be sure, so that's why I waited. I waited for a year. Because I don't want to ruin anything your life because I died." 

"What if, what if I started liking someone else? What if I had a boyfriend?" Blossom knitted her eye brows together. 

"If you're happy, then it doesn't matter," Brick shook his head. "God, you're so cute, but besides that, please stop crying. You might as well just punch me if you're going to cry." 

"...do you still like me?" Blossom asked. She knew the answer but she wanted to hear it. 

"Of course," Brick said, nodding his head. "I don't think I'll ever stop. I wouldn't have done the things I did if I didn't love you, Blossom." A smile surfaced on her face subconsciously. She knew she must look extremely stupid right now, with tears running down her cheeks and smiling. Brick looked at her. "Do... you still love me?" 

Blossom didn't say anything for a long time. She didn't have to say anything, she was smiling. Brick's face was pink. And then he smiled, almost in disbelief. He gave a soft sigh of relief. Then he made this face, this face that looked like he wantedto cry any moment. He covered his eyes, breathing raspily. Then he looked at her, his eyes a little red, a little glossy. He took a deep breath. 

Blossom looked at him, waiting, unsure of what she was waiting for but still waiting. Everything was so quiet, it was so quiet. But at the same time it was just a _fullfilled _time, Blossom couldn't ask for anything more. She took a sharp intake of breath, something mixed with nervous laughter. Brick shoved his hands into his pocket and opened his mouth. 

"Are you free this friday?" 


End file.
